As J.B. excitedly described last week, Mave finally decided to explore the outdoors. We don’t know what prompted her newfound bravery, but we are here for it!
And so, apparently, is Gordo.
Ten Seconds
Every ten second counts at the sanctuary. What was your favorite 10 second clip from the video? Isn’t it exciting to see Mave and Honey B outside??!! It still takes a little bit of drama for them to go out, but today Mave ventured out in between actual conflicts, which I think was a first!
You too can make ten seconds count by voting for the subject of Sue Cartwright’s next portrait in our poll (either by voting in the poll below, or if you don’t see it, vote here).
Vote now and vote again if you feel strongly about your choice.
Bonus points for letting us know if you have a particular photo that you’d like her to use as reference – let us know on our Contact Us form! Even bigger bonus points if you know of an artist who may want to make a donation to an upcoming fundraiser.
Presenting the Winner of the Easter Egg Hunt
It was an exhilarating day (if you are really impatient, scroll down to find out exactly why).
To tell the truth, it didn’t really dawn on me until yesterday that today is Easter, so I was felt lucky to be able to help with the festivities of the day.
I did know there were some party plans in store for the chimps for Easter, including non-commercial eggs from happy chickens that Dr. Erin knows that were dyed using natural dyes (like blueberries and yellow beets) by volunteer Nancy yesterday.
and SO MANY paper eggs filled will all sorts of fruits and veggies that were hidden i both outdoor habitats by volunteer Patti and staff member Ellen for an Easter egg hunt.
It was a gorgeous day, and all the chimps appreciated the forages and the dyed eggs. We actually got quite a bit of footage, but I wasn’t able to get it all put together for a proper video, so look for that tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some photo highlights:
Jamie watching the set-up in the greenhouse from the playroom:
Annie on one of the new structures on Young’s Hill:
Burrito chomping down on a “baby” iceberg lettuce:
Foxie with a tomato she found in one of the paper eggs:
Negra even climbed a structure in search of more lettuce:
The true winner of today’s Easter egg hunt was, hands down, our very own Cy. He marched right outside and went to the new structures on The Bray. Structures that he had never climbed before this afternoon!!!
He deserved today.
Cy’s sister Lucky also was feeling adventurous and climbed the crow’s nest structures that are connected to Ryan’s Lookout:
Thank you to everyone who supports the sanctuary and who donated at year-end to make these structures possible. Look for the Easter video tomorrow!
A Chimpanzee and her Library
As Sabrina said yesterday, sanctuary is often all about enjoying the small things.
For Jamie, having a LOT of small things gives her even more enjoyment 🙂
Sad news to share about Nutmeg Steer
We’re sorry to share that Nutmeg has passed away. This is the worst kind of news to share. I always worry about the impact of unexpected news on you all because I know how much you care about the animals here. And while we’ve had longer to absorb the reality of the situation, it’s coming at you all at once.
I know you’ll have a lot of questions, and I’m afraid that we just don’t have definitive answers in the case of Nutmeg. We did all we could for him and made the very tough decision to no longer prolong his discomfort, despite being left unsure about why his body failed him.
Dr. Erin, who has lost more than one night of sleep over the last few days, wrote the below about Nutmeg and her job in caring for him and his family.
Erin touched on this point, but I will add that it’s unusual to see adult male dairy cattle because the males are not economically useful to the industry. Dairy cattle have been bred with maximum milk production as the goal, and this genetic selection has resulted in males growing quickly and becoming very large. Nutmeg was so big that we had trouble finding a hoof trimmer with equipment that could accommodate his frame. While he was overall healthy in his time with us, we knew that his lifespan would likely not be incredibly long because of his size.
———-
From Erin:
I learned in veterinary school that I didn’t want to work with “farm” animals. I knew I wasn’t cut out to have a production value attached to my patients. Naive? Perhaps. But here I am, almost 35 years later, and the concept of inherent worth is still one I apply to all my patients, all animals, for that matter, no matter what species. My practice has focused on “companion” animals, dogs, cats and horses, and now, of course, chimpanzees. In 2018 when the sanctuary welcomed 4 beautiful Jersey cattle to the sanctuary, I thought, “ok Zamzow, here’s another species you aren’t familiar with to learn about!”
Heck, I learned about pigs by rescuing four of them so why not cattle too! Well, that knowledge from my “food” animal (now called “agricultural” animal) classes and rotations was buried alongside a few other traumatic experiences in my life. Yet, as once learned factoids tend to do, it bubbled up here and there and continues to be bolstered by online lectures, helpful, supportive, colleagues and, the best instruction of all, lived experience. I’m no expert by a long shot and I’d be lost without my cattle vet peeps (including the amazing and recently retired Dr. Mike Fuller here in Ellensburg) and colleagues from various veterinary school teaching hospitals.
I have come to cherish my time with our little herd. Getting to know them, their personalities, likes and dislikes and monitoring the health and well-being of these beautiful bovines is a pleasure and I often get ‘delayed’ in the barn or pasture because I enjoy being with them so much. These cattle get to exist free from the obligation to provide anything for humans-except of course, their natural grazing abilities that help to keep the property clear of excess fire fuel.
When the herd came to the sanctuary in early November of 2018, Nutmeg was not even 4 years old and already twice as big as his mother Betsy. In most dairy operations, a calf is separated from their mother anywhere from a few hours to a few days from birth, a traumatic event for both mother and baby. Fortunately some dairies leave cow and calf together for longer periods but they are still weaned earlier than if the decision were left up to mama and baby. In Nutmeg and Betsy’s case, the nursing went on, even if occasionally, for over 4 years. We rarely saw Nutmeg nurse after the herd came to CSNW but every so often someone would report seeing him sneak a sip from mom. Eventually, things ran their course and the milk bar closed for good.
This week has been a particularly tough one for all of us that love these cattle. Monday morning, Nutmeg was laying on his side in front of the barn and couldn’t get up. Cattle can and do lay on their sides once in a while but normally sleep in a ‘sternal’ position with their head curled around toward their back legs. Because of their size and the weight, like most megafauna, it’s not safe to lay on their sides for very long. Nerve and muscle damage can occur on their down side and the force of gravity causes blood to pool in the down side lungs. There is also the risk for ‘bloat’, a build up of gas in the rumen that can be life threatening. A normal adult bovine rumen holds about 40 gallons of fluid/ingesta, a lot of weight in that abdomen that puts pressure on other internal organs if they are in the same position for too long.
A “downer cow” is situation usually seen in cows after they have given birth and can be due to mineral imbalances or nerve damage sustained in delivery. In cattle on pasture, it can occur due to injury or a sudden shift in diet from hay to pasture that creates a drop in magnesium. It can be a hard condition to diagnose and sometimes, they just get down in the wrong position on an incline and can’t get their feet back under them.
We immediately got to work to turn Nutmeg onto his other side and then get him in a sternal position – no easy feat when dealing with a 2000 lb animal, but JB and Diana are amazingly creative when it comes to figuring out what one of our residents needs. We checked electrolyte and mineral levels, administered IV and oral electrolytes, dextrose and anti-inflammatory medications and monitored his vital signs closely. When a large animal is down, it’s important that they be watched continually in case they hurt themselves trying to get up. Nutmeg was propped up and watched around the clock with staff and volunteer Anthony taking shifts throughout the day and night. He was blanketed, brushed and doted on. JB was able to fashion a sling with some firehose so he could be lifted for short periods to take the weight off his legs. I did acupuncture and laser treatments on him as well which he initially seemed to respond to.
Nutmeg ate and drank water, chewed his cud and made valiant efforts to rise but by Wednesday afternoon, it was clear that he was exhausted and had sustained too much damage to his hind legs to recover. His appetite waned and the look in his eye changed. He spent his last night on a massive bed of straw in the barn, with his mama and Honey by his side and Meredith in her recovery pen just a few feet away. Staff visited and said their goodbyes and yesterday afternoon he was peacefully freed from his body and laid to rest surrounded by love.
Our hearts are broken and we will miss our beautiful, gentle giant so much. I am deeply thankful that he and his herd were sent to sanctuary instead of back to the dairy industry and that he was able to spend the last 5 1/2 years of his life grazing the pastures of this beautiful sanctuary with his family.
———-
We don’t talk about this much, but J.B. and I became vegan after first meeting chimpanzees and contemplating that line that humanity has historically drawn between “us” and “animals” and learning about industrial agriculture. We’re not perfect or pure vegans by any means, so perhaps the term plant-based is more appropriate, but we came to the decision from an animal welfare perspective, as did Dr. Erin many years ago. I think there are different ways of looking at personal food choices, and we certainly don’t expect everyone to come to the same decisions, but everyone should know what’s involved in producing the food they eat.
Our nearest neighbor manages a beef cattle ranch that harkens back to an older way of farming, where the cattle graze freely and contentedly. The calves stay with their moms and herds for some time before being separated, but, ultimately it’s still a for-profit business and they are separated and sold. This neighbor was more than happy to help us with Nutmeg when we first discovered our tractor was not strong enough to fully lift him off the ground. He brought his tractor over and helped us lift Nutmeg in the hopes that we could help him stand again. We are extremely grateful for Austin’s help, generosity, and undertanding.
It seems fitting to end this post with one of the last photos that Katelyn took of Nutmeg with his mom:
He will forever be her baby.
Sock Monkey Day & Museum?!
I’m so excited for today! It’s officially Sock Monkey Day, which was just the excuse I needed to share the story of a supporter of the sanctuary who started and runs a Sock Monkey Museum! No joke!
I don’t think you can be a person interested in primates and not have some awareness of sock monkeys, if not a collection of your own. For my part, I have sock monkey socks (of course), and I even made a version of a sock monkey that was supposed to be a likeness to Negra for a sanctuary auction we had in 2012 (see photos below).
Sock Monkey Museum founder Arlene and her husband Michael missed out on my sock creation, as they started supporting the sanctuary in 2013 with generosity and kind notes that accompanied their gifts. Unbeknownst to me, Arlene was already building a private collection of sock monkeys, and unbeknownst to any of us, this private collection would turn into something much bigger that would be another way to support Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.
I wanted to know all about how this came to be, so I sent Arlene some questions, and she graciously took the time to answer them and send me some photos of the museum too. The physical museum is located in Long Grove, IL not too far outside of Chicago, and also has a fun online presence. You can visit the official website here and from there see the Facebook and Instagram pages too.
I hope you enjoy this slight departure on the blog and enjoy learning about this unique passion from a fellow CSNW supporter.
Here’s the Q&A:
How and why did you start the museum?
I have collected sock monkeys for about 18 years. My husband and I were traveling the country in an RV and he bought me my first one at a Cracker Barrel Store. That became our mascot on the road. I looked into the history of them and found they are part of Americana, as they started around the Great Depression and World War II, when parents didn’t have money to buy toys for their kids. So, they repurposed what they had in the house, which was the worn out red-heel work socks. I realized there was a whole generation of sock monkeys that came before mine. I started to buy them slowly, online, at garage sales, thrift shops, etc. Eventually, we had a lot at home, and one day my husband said “why don’t you take them out of the house (lol) and let people enjoy them?” That is how the idea of the Sock Monkey Museum came to be.
I’ve read that it’s not a static museum that you walk through but there are hands-on activities. What can people do while they are there?
Oh, there’s a lot to do, for all ages. The first floor has over 700 vintage sock monkeys on display. There is a 7 ft. Sock Monkey Ferris Wheel that you can start by pressing a button – it plays spins, lights up, and plays music. You can operate our trains with buttons and hear sounds like the engineers and train whistles. We hold workshops where people can come and make their own Sock Monkey from a pair of socks, the original way. We also sell kits that you can take home to make your monkey. We host tour groups and parties as well. There is also a gift shop filled with all kinds of fun sock monkey items.
The Museum is upstairs and includes sock history, from the time of cavemen. There are educational exhibits as well as fun displays, such as Solemates. People love this because it shows sock monkeys that were made to go together. Sometimes they were separated through the years, but have found each other again at our Museum. We have a Sockumentary, that tells the history of the red-heel work socks since their creation in Rockford, IL, back in 1932. There is a scavenger hunt that takes people through the whole building, and some people spend hours trying to complete.
How have you incorporated support of the sanctuary with this endeavor?
We let visitors know that we donate a portion of Museum entrance fees to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest when they come in, or when they are purchasing their admission to the Museum. Many times that begins a conversation about where CSNW is located, and we share that you have the blog everyday and suggest people take a look. We also have Burrito’s picture at the register with a sign about CSNW. We show his photo. When people see him and hear his name, it really engages people. We also have a “Chimp Change” box right under his picture and so people can donate there as well.
We designed our own custom stuffable sock monkey, named after Burrito! It’s a great way to open a conversation with people about the Chimps at CSNW and the wonderful work that you do.
(side note from Diana here – what a good job of creating more chimp-like features for this Burrito sock “monkey”! Maybe an even better job than my homemade Negra sock chimp. Maybe.)
What did you expect when starting it, and how does the reality match your expectations? What’s been the most surprising outcome?
When we started to create this, we had no idea how it would evolve. I wanted to be sure there was something that would appeal to everyone. I didn’t want to just put my sock monkeys on shelves and say “here is my collection”. The more I researched about sock monkeys, the more I found to share. Then we included the history of socks as well, to make it more comprehensive. I think the historic building that houses the Museum lends itself to the whimsical nature of the sock monkeys. Judging from the wonderful comments we receive, our visitors are really enjoying it. It is nostalgic, educational, kid-friendly and fun.
You’ve gotten a lot of publicity lately! What’s been the most exciting media story or recognition?
Being on your blog means a lot to us as we hold the Sanctuary very dear. The Guinness World Record we received last year is quite an achievement, and that has brought quite a bit of attention to the Museum. We were certified August 10, 2023, as Largest Collection of Handmade Sock Monkeys in the World (2,098 sock monkeys then, but now we have over 2200). We’ve been on tv, in People Magazine and People.com (see that story here), and even in a book called “100 Things to do in Illinois Before You Die”. It’s kind of overwhelming.
Where do you go from here?
We will just be celebrating our second year in April. The Museum is evolving, as Museums do. The collection of Sock Monkeys keeps growing. As my husband says with a smile, “They keep coming”. It’s true – people donate their sock monkeys to us. Sometimes we get one sock monkey from someone who may be downsizing and it is still very important to them, with sentimental value, and they want to make sure it is still loved and appreciated. We have also received large boxes of sock monkeys from people who may be moving, or come across them. In either circumstance, it means a lot to receive them. We put them on display and love to share their history if we have that. We love them all!
We keep getting new ideas and adding to the displays, so it is fun that the Museum may be different for people that have been here before, when they come back. There is so much to see anyway, that people tell us they want to come back, which is such a nice compliment. Visitors to the Museum say it makes them happy. It brings back good memories for so many, and reminds many of their childhood, perhaps someone’s grandmother made them a sock monkey and they still have it! They may want to share that tradition with their own family now. There is so much enthusiasm for sock monkeys and their story by young and old alike. I believe we are preserving the tradition and that is very rewarding.
Huge thanks to Arlene for sharing with the sanctuary in so many ways and for creating something that brings more happiness into the world!
Be Mine, Honey Cow
You know how last week in our Be Mine series, I said that Betsy was easy to get to know because of her gregariousness towards humans? Well, today, let me introduce you to her cow opposite in that respect – Honey Cow!
If you want the quick and delightful overview of all that is wonderful Honey, watch her Fall in Love video that Grace made last week, then read on:
Honey was likely born in 2007 and we choose to celebrate her birthday on November 10th.
(Allow me to pause here and skip ahead a bit to tell you that, shockingly, Honey Cow only has three Bovine Buddies currently – Monica, Jackie, and Jennifer (thank you to them!!). So, if you are looking to add a cow friend to sponsor (and why wouldn’t you, for just $10/month?!), I definitely recommend you read on and choose Honey for your Buddy!)
Honey, as we’ve explained through Betsy and Nutmeg‘s Be Mine blog posts, is mom to Meredith. Like Betsy, she was used in the dairy industry before being purchased for use in the reality TV show Utopia. In fact, Honey gave birth to Meredith during the filming of the series. When Utopia was cancelled after just two months, Betsy, Honey and Meredith all went to Farm Sanctuary’s shelter in northern California (you can read more from Farm Sanctuary about how they ended up at that sanctuary here, a profile of Honey from Farm Sanctuary here, and a mention in the Hollywood Reporter here). They were soon joined by lil’ baby Nutmeg (who is now big baby Nutmeg 😉 )
Honey and little Meredith at Farm Sanctuary:
Honey is a fan of alfalfa, and she also likes to lick up salt and mineral supplements. We have these in block form for the cattle to lick whenever they want to, and we also add loose salt and minerals to their grain in the wintertime when they are relying on dry hay for nutrients rather than grazing.
In the winter, when the temps drop, the cattle start to get a thicker coat of hair. On Honey in particular, her longer hair develops a wonderfully luxurious wavy pattern.
Like Betsy, Honey is very curious:
Unlike Betsy, Honey is somewhat suspicious of humans and has a certain disdain to be touched by them. I would venture to say that one of her favorite activities is looking scornfully at people. She will definitively let you know when you have invaded her personal space with a shake of her head or a head butt.
I’ve mentioned before that the more “difficult” animals, the ones who have to be won over, always seem to find a big place in my heart, and this is certainly the case for Honey Cow.
I love that she’s sometimes annoyed by my presence! And I love even more that I can now touch her or brush her head and, though she still acts annoyed, she usually doesn’t stop me.
Once again, I encourage you to choose Honey for your Buddy!
Here’s a bonus photo taken during our deep freeze this winter. Similar to when we exhale in the cold and there’s a cloud of our warm respiration, Honey’s exhale created a nose halo of face frost.
